Housing and Resource Navigator

POSITION: Housing and Resource Navigator  

CLASSIFICATION:Full time – 40 hours, non-exempt 

REPORTS TO: Director of Programs     

POSITION START:ASAP 

COMPENSATION: $30- $35/hour DOE

WORK SCHEDULE:Tuesday-Saturday 8:30am-5pm (subject to change based on program needs) 

PREFERENCES:Spanish-speaking preferred. Prior housing case management experience preferred. 

ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION 

A Sense of Home strives to prevent homelessness by creating first-ever homes and acommunity for youth aging out of foster care. 50% of those struggling with homelessness are former foster youth. The homeless crisis can only end through prevention. 

POSITION PURPOSE 

The Housing and Resource Navigator is instrumental in providing support to individuals receiving services from A Sense of Home (ASOH), ensuring that they remain stably housed and have access to the resources necessary to lead a healthy, stable life. The HRN will support current and/or former foster youth in need of securing housing by  researching, creating, and distributing lists of available housing resources, including providing referrals to landlords that are in partnership with ASOH.  They will also provide new landlords with incentive letters and any additional information to build rapport on behalf of ASOH and the young people moving into their units. 

The HRN will also provide resource navigation to individuals, which includes providing connection to necessary resources such as food, transportation, employment, education, legal, parenting, health and wellness care, etc. Individuals served will also include those who were impacted by the 2025 Los Angeles Fires and need support navigating financial assistance and public resources. 

Additionally, the HRN will also collect data related to housing stability, attend housing resource networking events, and collaborate with public and private organizations to provide the best care possible to individuals

DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION 

ASOH is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds to apply. We value the individuals that we hire and look forward to creating a positivework environment for all identities. 

OUR COMMITMENT 

We are committed to not only provide a diverse and inclusive workplace, but we value the health and wellbeing of our team members. ASOH offers 100% paid health and medical benefits to employees, along with generous paid sick and sick vacation time. We also believe in providing a workplace that fosters advancement and professional development for all employees, conducting our day-to-day business practices accordingly. 

HISTORY AND CONTEXT 

ASOH began as a random act of kindness, when the founders Georgie Smith and Melissa Goddard saw an injustice and acted upon it. They noticed that young people exiting foster care had overcome the odds against them, achieved securing a roof over their heads, only to be forced to sleep on cold bare floors, and struggle without fridges, stoves, lighting, a table to eat from nor study off of. The lack of means to make a space a home is a significant inequity that has proven to hold back those working and studying hard to overcome the challenges of the world and create a better future for them. Since then, ASOH has grown into a caring community of skilled staff and dedicated volunteers, providing much needed resources to over 375 former foster youth and their children annually. 

A UNIQUE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING AND HEALING FOR ALL 

We are committed to action for impact and won’t stop learning, listening, growing andserving. We are committed to evolving our work and model to ensuring we always: 

• Evolve how we achieve our goals and deepen the impact 

• Listen to those we serve

• Partner with organizations that uplift marginalized communities 

• Find and implement new tools in our programs that overcome unique barriers to healing

• Amplify more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) voices

• Ensure a safe, inclusive, diverse workplace for employees, volunteers, donors, and those we serve

• Integrate social justice and public health scholars in the development of our organization 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Housing and Resource Navigator isdirectly responsiblefor the following duties: 

Housing Navigation -The HRN will play a crucial role in partnerships with public and private agencies referring to ASOH, including The LA County Department of Child and Family Services.  

• Researching, creating, and distributing lists with available housing resources for voucher and non voucher holders

• Engage with landlords, PHAs, and partner organization’s case managers by  providing incentive letters and relevant information about ASOH services, and when eligible, available ASOH referred properties. 

• Maintain positive relationships with property owners who have designated units for ASOH by ensuring the application referral process is efficient and that units are being filled as quickly as possible.

• Share housing resources with ASOH Member community, and track/manage interest forms and application referrals. 

• Support ASOH Members in maintaining housing stability by providing resource navigation based on their individual needs.    

• The HRN must have a strong understanding of housing authority processes and documentation. 

Resource Navigation -The HRN will also provide resource navigation to individuals who are receiving services from ASOH. 

• Meet with individuals to discuss their short and long term goals, and provide referrals to resources based on their unique circumstances, to ensure stability and help them achieve their goals. Meetings may be in person, zoom, phone, and offsite events including Home Creations.   . 

• Research, update and distribute resource information to individuals and to the broader ASOH Member community via social media, newsletters, and flyers. 

• Collaborate with Intake Coordinator when necessary to provide resources to incoming applicants. 

Community Building - 

• The HRN will form and maintain connections with property managers in the community who accept housing vouchers and have available units. 

• Attend housing and resource networking events to increase access to resources. 

• Collaborate with partner organizations and case managers to provide the best care to individuals served. 

• Actively engage with participants at ASOH events with volunteers, donors, and alumni. 

Data Tracking -The HRN will be responsible for collecting and tracking data related to resources and housing 

Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted, modified or changed at any time at ASOH’s discretion, to fulfill the Position Purpose. Changes may be made formally, informally either verbally or in writing.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE 

Relevant experience working in foster youth, transition-aged-youth, or homeless servicesis preferred. Housing case management experience preferred. Spanish speaking preferred. The position requires consistent travel to off-site locations to perform job duties. Employees must have readily available access to reliable transportation at all times to fulfill these duties. Employees may use any form of transportation of their choice, including public transit, rideshare services, bicycling, walking, or a personal vehicle. The employer does not require a driver’s license to apply for or perform this job. If an employee chooses to drive a vehicle for work-related travel, they are responsible for maintaining a valid driver license and any legally required automobile insurance. ASOH will provide mileage reimbursement in accordance with applicable law.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Working with computers, cameras, scanners, phones, and printers

• Using various software including client database software, cloud based software such as Google Drive, Zoom, and DropBox.

• Communications over the phone, virtually and in person with persons outside the organization, supervisors, peers, etc.

• Organizing, planning, and prioritizing work

• Making decisions and solving problems

• Processing information and verifying accuracy of data

• Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships

• Assessing the qualities of things, services, or people

• Performing administrative activities

• Documenting/recording information and maintaining logs

• Evaluating information to determine compliance with standards/policies

• Estimating the quantifiable characteristics of products, events, or information 

KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENT 

Analytical Skills - Ability to process and analyze vague, abstract verbal and written instructions. Ability to visualize and assess abstract ideas. Ability to read, analyze complex documents, and communicate analysis in oral and written form. 

Reasoning Ability - Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. 

Communications and Media - Requires public speaking, phone conversations, use of email, writing letters and memos, face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams and contact with others. 

English Language - Strong knowledge in reading, writing, and speaking of the Englishlanguage. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating andmaintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports andcorrespondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the Company. 

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing superior customer and personal services. 

Mathematical Skills - Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. 

Computers and Electronics - Working knowledge of email, social media networks, computers, smartphones, equipment, graphics software and CRM system. 

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, and other office procedures andterminology. 

Law and Government - Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

Lifting and moving - Requires ability to lift, move, transport, and stage furniture andother home goods sometimes in excess of 25 pounds. 

Body positioning - Requires using hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls and prolonged periods of standing and/or sitting 

Competition - Requires competition or awareness of competitive pressures 

Conflict - Requires dealing with potentially unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people,including conflict situations 

Impact of decisions - Requires making decisions that impact the results of co-workers, vendors, sponsors, donors, volunteers or the company 

Opportunity to make decisions without supervision - Requires making decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of theorganization 

Level of challenge - Requires being exact or highly accurate. Also requires repeating thesame physical activities or mental activities over and over - often with freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals 

Pace and scheduling - Requires meeting strict deadlines and adhering to tight timelines 

Personal Interaction - Requires work with external individuals, organizations, businesses, or the public. Also, requires coordinating or leading others in accomplishing work activities and work with others in a group or team 

Responsibility for Others - Includes responsibility for work outcomes, results, and safety of others 

WORK SETTING -Requires working in office space as well as warehouse space in cold or hot conditions as well as outdoors in hot, cold, wet, humid and/or dry conditions. Work is often performed in recipients’ homes. Also, requires ability to climb stairs or hills at timeswhile lifting. Work is often performed in warehouse settings with tight spaces for 

travel/access. Requires ability to lift, reach, hold and move heavy items, at times onto and from shelving units. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

By submitting your application for this position, you acknowledge that if you are hired as an employee, your employment relationship is intended to be at will. This job description contains the entire agreement between you and A Sense of Home as to the duration of your employment and the circumstances under which your employment may be terminated. Nothing contained in this, or any other materials generated by A Sense of Home or its employees, or any statement made by any employee of the organization, shall require the company to have “just” or “good cause” to terminate the employment relationship or to change the terms and conditions of your employment. Notwithstanding any disciplinary procedures or A Sense of Home rules or regulations, either you or A Sense of Home may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without cause or prior notice. Further, A Sense of Home can demote, transfer, suspend or otherwise discipline an employee in its sole and absolute discretion. Nothing in this job description, or any other personnel documents creates or is intended to create a promise or representation of continued or indefinite employment or employment for a specific term, in a specific position, or at a specific rate of pay, or to prohibit A Sense of Home from terminating you for any reason even if previously agreed that such a reason would not result in termination. 

I also understand that A Sense of Home has the right to change the compensation, assignments, duties, responsibilities, or geographical location of my job at any time, with or without cause.